The FIFA World Cup has started just recently, but has already managed to bring both joy and bitter disappointment to millions of fans around the globe. The uneventful games by the top teams, the unexpected victories of the Russians, and the defeat of the world champions are just a few spotlights of the first week of the 2018 World Cup. If we add to that some unexpected draws and somewhat controversial refereeing, what we get is a true football festival, which is definitely worth waiting for four years.
The German team lost to the Mexicans. Such a result could have hardly been expected even by the most committed Mexican fans, yet a real football miracle occured - Mexico made an all-out effort to win with a score of 1-0. The only goal in the match was scored by Hirving Lozano. The player outsmarted the defender, and then sent the ball into the nearest corner of the net. The national team could have scored several goals more, yet the luck was no longer on their side. Still, in the second half of the match, when the German team started their own series of attacks, the Mexicans managed to hold the pressure at bay and keep their victory. During the second half they concentrated mainly upon the defense, yet no-one would call their style inexpressive - although their counter-attacks have never reached their aim, they still will be remembered by the Mexican fans for years to come.
Another match many spectators of the World Cup 2018 are not going to forget in a short while is the dramatic clash between the national teams of Spain and Portugal. Although it ended in a draw, that was a truly great event to witness. The final score of the match was 3-3, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring all the goals for Portugal. The Spanish team's player, Isco, who, just like Ronaldo himself, plays for Real Madrid, mentioned jokingly that he would no longer speak to the Portuguese star because of his free kick goals. Sports betting operators and fans alike agree that Ronaldo has every chance of becoming the best forward of the championship.
The refereeing of this unforgettable match has also aroused many claims; the decision made by Gianluca Rocchi to appoint a penalty for the Spanish national team is considered very controversial, as was the goal scored by Diego Costa.
On the contrary, a great example of decent refereeing was the match between France and Australia. The referees appointed two fair penalties and counted a goal scored by the French team.
The most beautiful goal of the 2018 World Cup so far remains the one scored by Aleksandar Kolarov, the Serbian flank defender and Roma player. The footballer managed to show what he's got in the match against Costa Rica by sending an exact shot with a free kick into the top nine. The goal became the only one in the match, but brought an effective victory.
Despite the two goals scored, the confrontation between Croatia and Nigeria was not something the fans could have been hoping for. An own goal and a successful penalty kick were the brightest moments of that football battle. The victory of Croatia was well-expected and the match did not bring either any surprises to the fans or an abundance of acute moments.
The start of the 2018 World Cup turned out to be quite difficult for the favorites. Neymar and Messi did not demonstrate the game that everyone is used to expect from both of them. Messi did not score from a penalty, and Neymar was not successful with any shots on target, meaning that neither of their teams was able to secure a victory even over lower-ranking opponents.
One of the biggest surprises was Russia winning two games in a row. Now the team has a significant chance of leaving the group phase and it becomes much more difficult to predict the results of their next matches. Of particular note is Denis Cheryshev, who scored three goals for the Russian team. During this season, the striker scored just one ball and during the World Cup 2018 the player began to reveal his potential.
